


Tell me Tokyo...

by wheresmybra



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-15
Updated: 2015-03-15
Packaged: 2018-03-17 23:28:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3547709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wheresmybra/pseuds/wheresmybra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Down in Tokyo, I fell in love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. down in tokyo—

**Author's Note:**

> Reposted from dA 'cause I like this format more. :3

I twirled around in front of the mirror, twisting my head to check if my kimono was fastened correctly. I turned back again, running my fingers over the wrinkles in the robe around my body. Placing a hand on the red flower in my hair, I nodded in contentment.

The date is March 3.

From the place where I've come from, Germany, this date has no special meaning. It's just the 3rd day of spring.

However, in Japan, the day of March 3 is a very important day.

It's the day where all the girls pretty themselves with the most delicate accessories, putting on their best kimono. They chose these items carefully, they dress themselves precisely ,they doll themselves up with everything they've got.

This day is reserved for the  _Doll Festival_. It is also called  _Girls' Day._

My reflection offered me upturned lips and glittering eyes, cheeks painted with a delicate blush, but not too much. Girls here in Japan tend to go for looks as natural as possible, I'm trying to follow their example.

" You look beautiful. "

Mikasa's gentle figure greeted me in the mirror, leaning in the doorway. For a moment, I rested my eyes on her face, on her tender features, on the flowers in her hair. Then, they trailed lower, noticing the kimono she choose, its details, its colors.

I greeted her by facing her, smiling adoringly." Me? You look stunning, Mikasa! " She was all wrapped in black,white and red, in flowers huddled together, in an elegance that was her.

She breathed a laugh, coming closer to me. " This color really fits you. "

I glanced down at the cloth around my body, at the yellow, red, white, pink and orange, all enveloped by the green drowning the spaces unoccupied by flowers. I guess Mikasa really had eyes for these types of things, being half-Japanese and all: she knows how to dress herself and what to choose for me.

" Thanks. "

" Armin messaged me. " Mikasa said, locking her phone. " They're waiting in the lobby. "

I nodded. " We can go. I'm ready. "

We made our way to the elevator in a comfortable silence, until I heard Mikasa mutter under her breath:

" If Eren doesn't make a move this time, I'm sending his ass into oblivion. "

Blood rushed to my cheeks.

" M-Mikasa! " I stuttered.

However, instead of receiving a teasing smirk or a chuckle from her, her face was scrunched in irritation. " I'm being serious, [___].There's a limit to how much someone can be clueless, and Eren just overstepped it. "

I sighed.

Eren is Mikasa's childhood friend. They've known each other for, well, a lifetime. They grew up together, you could say they were practically family. Into that little family, Armin and I were accepted too, albeit Armin came earlier than me in their lives. The three of them are very close to each other, oftentimes I find myself putting space between them, more often than not, I think I'm intruding on something intimate. They have such a strong bond, it's enviable.

However, I'm not jealous. I'm glad we're all here, I'm glad Mikasa insisted on me coming with them to visit Japan, I'm glad that they're in my life and that I'm in theirs.

As to why was Mikasa fuming about Eren being clueless?

I have a crush on him. It's not a big deal, really. Many girls in our class fancy Eren too, it's not like I'm the only one. However, I guess they don't have Mikasa's blessing, so that makes me different from them. I guess they're not as close as I am to him, either.

It's funny though that Mikasa is more frustrated than I am. She's always been a mother hen of sorts. She's suffocating most of the time, Eren, with his thin patience, sometimes tells her off, Armin is more understanding of the fact that she is worried about our well-being as her friends.

" Seriously, Mikasa, drop it. I'm not bothered by this, it's fine if we're just friends. "

" You may not be bothered--" She started, paused once we were inside the elevator to press the button to the lobby, then resumed. "--But I am."

The door closed.

" Because you like him, and it's so obvious."

" Oh, God."I buried my burning face in my hands.

" And because he likes you too, it's so damn obvious, but he's dense as heck." She finished calmly, clasping her hands in front of her.

Someone,  _please_  give this girl a prize for getting hopeless romantics' hopes up and embarrassing them in the process. Actually, she deserves two prizes. Medals, even.

I was about to comment on what she said, but there was a  _Ding!_ , there were the doors opening--

\--And then there were turquoise eyes.

" Wow, you two look breathtaking! "

I'm sorry, Armin, I'm not able to give my thanks to you, since right now I'm busy sinking into bright eyes, but Mikasa will take care of that for me.

There are just  _so many_  emotions flickering in his eyes, too bad I'm not good at reading them. What I can surely say is that he is surprised. I'm also stunned into silence. Even though he is dressed in a black kimono, with tints of light blue and dragon designs, his  _obi_  black with white lines, he is out of this world. To be completely honest, he has always been. My eyes embraced his figure, embraced him whole in what I hoped was subtlety, just a quick survey and that I was not downright ogling him.

" Hey." He murmured.

" Hi. " I smiled slightly, and I could hear Armin and Mikasa puffing in the background." You look nice!" I beamed, giggling to hide my embarrassment.

He cleared his throat."You too." His tongue flicked to wet his lips."These colors really suit you. They're vibrant, just like you,[___]."

Heart, now's not the time to be preparing for the marathon.

My lips were tight in this U shape and my face felt warm.

God, I'm warm all over.

"Thank you so much, Eren."My cheeks hurt so hard, but so good.

Armin cleared his throat, successfully capturing our attention."We should get going, otherwise the train will be crowded."

On our way, Armin kept questioning Mikasa about every little thing about the festival, the booths that will be there, the traditions, the history, and I was left with Eren to watch their backs.

"Who knew we'd get to come here."I sighed blissfully, raking my eyes over the buildings with neon signs depicting God knows what because my Japanese was still poor, but they were pleasant to look at, they just stole your attention, flickering red, green, yellow and other bold colors. I couldn't shift my gaze away, the banners using stylistic writing, black with contours of white, the symbols ,curly and splashed in a neat way--it was easy for me to get lost in everything, for this eccentric view to snatch me away.

This country was simply an explosions of senses.

However--

It only took Caribbean eyes to capture my undivided attention.

Eren laughed, resonant and rich, a healthy laugh from deep within."Yeah, tell me about it. How does it feel to finally live your dream?"

"Fucking amazing."I smiled giddily up at him, before realising my mistake and clamping a hand over my lips.

After ceasing his laughter (and after being intimidated by my wanna-be frown which was actually an ashamed pout, all topped with shades of red), Eren swung an arm around my shoulders, bringing my head to rest against the left side of his chest. He locked eyes with me, all happy smiles, unaware of my inner turmoil and my rapidly growing heartbeat. "You're  _fucking_  adorable, d'you know that?"

I raised my eyes at him, mumbling a meek "No?".

Armin turned his head and I could practically feel the mischievous smile he was sporting."[___] and Eren are getting really touchy-touchy, aren't they?"Mikasa nodded, smiling faintly.

Eren tightened his hold on me, sputtering and lightly cursing his best friend, who faked a sigh, before continuing:"Too bad we can't leave them alone, yet."The rest of Eren's rant was directed at Armin's back, who, as an after-thought, added:"Just hold on a little longer, okay, you two?"

My heart sunk.

They weren't planning to ditch us when we got there, were they?

_Oh God, oh God, oh God--_

With furrowed eyebrows, Eren huffed under his breath:"I'm tired of them making fun of us."

"They're...not really making fun of us."

Actually, they're rooting for us. We're like, their real life OTP. It's comforting to know they're supporting us (even though we're not together), but sometimes it gets annoying and awkward with Armin's innocent teasing and innuendos and Mikasa's R-rated fanfictions of the two of us. And Eren being as clueless as ever--I don't know if it's helping or not.

I disentangled myself as we reached the station, putting a small but safe distance from Eren. The 4 of us gathered together, trying to stay in line, following the example of the people living in this country.

I glanced around, discreetly surveying some other girls spruced up along with their boyfriends, men dressed in suits, some people wearing masks, some getting back from work, going on with their lives. They were so diligent, so polite and ready to help, so keen on following the rules, they long ago earned my respect.

My eyes fell on a boy of average height (according to where I've come from), with dusky hair fluffed up in all directions and dark eyes engulfed in his phone.

"He's pretty attractive." My mouth went off without my consent, thus making my friends look in the direction my eyes were fixed on.

A gust of wind came crashing towards us and I covered the bun on my head with its accessories and flower, though my eyes never left the pretty boy.

And oh God, he looked like he had been ripped straight from a Shoujo manga, with his hair blowing in the wind, locks haphazardly thrown in the air, in his eyes, and all I could think were that even with the lack of cherry blossom flowers in his face, he looked irresistible.

Mikasa hummed. “He’s not bad, I suppose.”

I turned sharply towards her, eyes popped out in bewilderment.” _Not bad_? He’s totally so fine!” A squeal bubbled in my throat and I efficiently managed to morph it into a dying seal’s sound, or, to fit the mood, a cat in heat, maybe?

Armin butted in the conversation: ”His looks are quite ordinary, he is no different from the usual Japanese boys.”

_No, but you don’t understand, Armin!_

A whine, then:” No, Armin, don’t you see how his shirt molds perfectly over his stomach and his forearms, they look delicious—“

“So you’re attracted to the way he’s dressed?”

A retort prepared itself to leave my mouth, to deny what was a tiny little bit true, when Eren’s voice cut through.

“The train’s coming.”

Eren’s voice sounded strangely… reserved, even a bit cold. My eyes drifted over him, but he had his back to me, so they landed on Mikasa. She looked like she was tormented by something, biting her lip and eyeing me back with waves of stormy blue. I felt like the I was swallowed by those waves, caught up in a storm on a beach, I must have done something. I shook my head, to which she motioned for me to come closer to her.

“What is with that look on your face, Mikasa?”

To which she hissed with restrained… amusement? She doesn’t look amused at all. On the contrary, she looks like she wants to throw someone on the railing. In times like these, I remember just how she is related to our professor, Mr Levi Ackerman, who is also her uncle. He must be proud of her, she got an A+ on  _How to look like murdering someone when you’re actually happy_. “He’s jealous.” Her eyes crinkled, she was such a sadist, Mr Ackerman, what have you been teaching her. But I have to give her props for trying to make me feel better, and getting me to believe that I have a chance. However, Eren’s voice did sound…off.

I furrowed my eyebrows, lips pursed. “You sure?”

God, the next time I’m praying, please fulfill my wish of being given the power of telepathy, that way Mikasa wouldn’t have to look so fed up with me and I would finally figure out what goes through Eren’s head. And hers. And Armin’s too. That’d be nice. Telepathy sounds nice. Especially on exams or tests. God, Santa Clause or Easter Bunny, I’m waiting for your signal.

I exhaled, dismissing her by saying that the train has arrived.

And oh Pete, dear one, rush hour is merciless — in a moment I was squeezed like a toothpick. And since he was feeling extremely mischievous, I lost my friends in the crowd. In a sea of foreign people. Japanese people. Lots that don’t know English. What do I do? I don’t know where to get down. I can’t see Armin’s outstanding blond hair in this mass, and I can’t even twist my head without uttering _Sumimasen_  to the people I bumped into.

Today is not a good day. If you keep going at it again, Pete, I’m taking my toys and I’m leaving. We’re no longer friends.

My tiptoes hurt, my hand was soon to become like Jake’s, though Christ pray, I don’t want to be a dog, which bring the question as to why have you felt like making me short? Was it fun? Because to me it’s not, I’m practically hanging like a monkey here, I hope I find a pole where I can drape myself around it.

My toes ache, I slowly tried to bring my feet flat on the floor, but I accidentally stepped on someone’s foot.

“  _I-I’m sorry_!”

Nope, nope, I take it back. Today is a  _very_ good day,  _splendid_  even! Pete, let me hug you, you are the boss. You rock. You’re my BFF.

Gorgeous is right behind me.

“ _It’s alright. Don’t worry, please._ ”

His smile is so—

I think (know) I must’ve been staring, he was fidgeting and a murmur that thankfully I understood (bless the Anime God) passed his wet lips. “ _Is something the matter?_ ”

“ _Gaijin desu._ ”

A soft, exhaled laugh and smoldering brown eyes spoke in broken English. “You speak English _?_ ”

The obvious mistake made me cringe, since English is my only pleasure in school, but I probably could relate to him: my Japanese was horrendous.

I whispered a confirmation. That prompted him to continue. “You want –hold on me?”

Pumpkin pie, please don’t say things like that, I might faint.

Despite my thoughts, I nodded, My feet were wailing in my  _Geta_ , I wasn’t about to refuse such a tempting offer.

“If it’s alright…” I mumbled, feeling my cheeks flushed from the proposal.

I think my heart rocketed when he took my hand in his own, gripping it securely, and I finally landed on my feet, the ache subsiding a little.

Buddha bless this beautiful—both inside and outside—man.

Though, instead of feeling comforted and protected, I felt uneasy. There’s this boy, a well-mannered and cute one, I barely know him, and well, he’s kind of holding my hand. Japanese boys were very strict, they didn’t ogle women like those back in the country, but just for my well-being, I was on alert. I know some self-defense, if it comes to that, I’ll break his beautiful skull with my elbow.

We kept our staring contest, when the train took a sharp turn, and like, in every Shoujo manga, I fell on his chest, his free hand cradling me firmly. For crying out loud, we’re not in a Shoujo manga, yet why is it that every move this boy makes is so smooth?

“You alright?”

I lost myself in chocolate eyes, in their essence and sweetness, in their delicious gleaming, my fetish for Japanese boys is getting out of hand. He gazed back at me, a smile playing at the corner of his lips. “Your eyes are pretty.”

_Oh. Oh, dear God._

“[___]!!”

I disentangled myself to scan my surrounding, spotting ocean eyes coming towards me, apologizing to those he pushed aside. We locked eyes, and his smile was so bright, but then he eyed gorgeous next to me, and his lips and his eyebrows turned into frowns. His pace seemed to quicken, and now I might (finally) realise that Eren might be jealous.

He’s over-protective.

He panted my name once he was in front of me, but his eyes were so unfocused, they were not for me, he didn’t see me.

“Eren.” I uttered, trying to make him look at me with my tone, I tried to say his name in the most pleading and sincere voice ever.

“We get down at  _Harajuku_ station.”

I think I was feeling extremely bold after almost hugging beautiful on my right, that I took Eren’s hand in mine and announced: “You have to take me back to Mikasa and Armin, so don’t leave, ok?” I spoke in German, and that made him regard me with eyes rippling of ocean salt and waves crashing on the shore, and I swore that Eren was the most beautiful being in this train. In this city, country, world. How could I droll over a Japanese boy, when I have a masterpiece that gets worried for me?

I entwined our fingers, willing myself to not become a mess, since I didn’t need any more blood reddening my cheeks. My tongue passed my lips and Caribbean eyes were on me, only for me. “Don’t leave me alone.” My eyes flickered between his own, his cheeks, his forehead, over his head, his hair, went by his lips, then back into that unique color.

He hesitated, he paused, before gripping our hands and speaking: “I’ll never leave you alone.”

I swallowed.” I’m holding you to that.”

I said my goodbyes to the other boy, and I made my way with Eren in tow to the others. My blush faded, but it was still present, after all, I was holding my crush’s hand. It was big, it was soft with edges of hardness, it was warm, so, so warm. I wanted to be engulfed by that warmth. I wanted to be engulfed by him. His smell, his laugh, his eyes, his voice, his arms, his everything, in this reincarnated Adonis with a missing Aphrodite.

I’m not worth the Aphrodite title, I’m not special, I’m stuck between average and cute, but maybe, maybe, Adonis can ditch his Aphrodite and come to this ordinary girl. I’d love him a thousand times, a million times, more times than we can count, I’ll treasure him as long as he does the same, I want him so much for me.

Armin’s hair came into view, thank God he was a blond. A smart blond. A straight A+ blond. Blond jokes don’t work on this bookworm. Knowing him, he’d retaliate with a clever explication as to why not all blondes are dumb. And they’re not. Armin, you are going to be the blondes’ world mascot. They need you. You’re borderline between cute and boyish, you’ll do just fine.

“Hey, you kinda lost me there.” I chirped sharply, trying to maneuver myself close to them in the whole crowd.

“We’re sorry, [___]. I knew the train was gonna be packed, but not this much.” Armin apologized, trying to make himself smaller to give me space to fit into.

“Apology accepted.” I grinned, throwing a glance over my shoulder to him.

Mikasa’s eyes traveled downwards, settling on my and Eren’s linked hand. I got a bit self-conscious, my cheeks pinkish, but I didn’t let go, I’ll stay like this until he notices it. Her lips quirked up, though she kept quiet. God bless Mikasa too. She needs a present for all her support. I’ll have to find something to buy her.

I dragged Eren closer to me, getting on my toes to reach the bus handle, when he grasped this hand too, telling me: “Hold on to me. Your feet will hurt all night if you keep them like this the whole ride.”

I nodded wordlessly, clutching our intertwined hand, bringing the other down.

Armin seemed to try to muffle his laughter. “We have three more stations, this train moves fast.”

I went quiet, drowning out the conversation, observing how neon signs, advertisements, people, buildings became a blur of colors, of red, yellow, flickering green, grey and dark blue, this city was basking in colors. But as we continued to move forward, the lights diminished, the flashing became less and less frequent, the buildings were naked of their publicity and plasmas. The train stopped at  _Shin-Okubo_ , and in wonder I appreciated the kimonos the native girls wore, their hairstyle, buns with blue, purple, red, pink flowers, the boys dressed sharp for the occasion, there were exceptions, of course, this was girls’ day, most of the boys didn’t need to dress up. I guess it’s pleasing to see them so dedicated to their loved one.

“What are you looking at, [__]?” Armin broke my trail of thoughts, and I responded with a shake of my head in the right direction. “Observing people. Especially the dressed up girls. They’re delightful to look at.”

Standing at 170 cm, Eren leaned his head on my right shoulder to study the scenery, his voice vibrating through me. “You look a thousand better than them.”

I fought off a smile, lightly jabbing him. “Don’t say stuff like that, silly. Stop inflating my ego.”

Time passed by relatively quick, and luckily, many people got down, thus the train was less crowded, we had space to move, and I reluctantly let go of Eren’s hand to grasp a pole.

_“The next station is Harajuku. Harajuku. The doors on the left side will open.”_

As we got down, I breathed in deeply. Despite the fact that Tokyo was a buzzing city, full of people, stations, and buildings, it had a general lack of cars, therefore the air wasn’t polluted at all. It was fresh, a bit humid, it rained a lot the other day, windy, it was overall a lovely sensation, though it better not ruin my hairdo.

“We have to go on foot to the temple. It’s not far away, down the street and immediately turn right.” Mikasa pointed her hand in those directions, her words leaving in a trail of silk; she was truly a  _Yamato Nadeshiko_ : graceful and strong, maintaining those qualities in whatever situation she faced, a flower of rare beauty. Oftentimes I wonder why there’s no boy at her side, but I guess there’s no one to truly deserve her yet.

We trudged in our sandals to our destination, my kimono kissing my forearms in whispers, lightly urged on by the wind, it teased my legs with its smooth material, flapping in the air. I studied Armin in front of me, hugged by rich blue and bubble patterns, these colors really complemented his sky-like eyes. His  _obi_  was decorated by cerulean blue squares on white, fastened on his hips with patience.

I brought my eyes to my feet, I was abandoned once again with Eren on my left.

“ _Hinamatsuri, Doll’s Day_ or  _Girl’s Day_ —“ Mikasa started.”—Is the day people display ornamental dolls, called  _hina-ningyo_ , outside their houses on platforms covered by red carpets, dolls that represent the Emperor, the Empress, attendants or musicians that go down in their history, all of them dressed in clothes specific to the  _Heian_  period.”

I was clever enough to wikipedia that article last night, the terms are not so foreign to me.

She paused, before continuing:” I’ll make it as brief and as simple as possible. The reason why people do this is because it is said that dolls posses the power to tame bad spirits, to protect the villagers from the evil. People also pray for the safety of their children, of their little girls.”

“I’ve read that there is a certain arrangement of the dolls, they represent something different with each platform.” Armin cut in and I could see the excitement in his eyes from receiving information, whether it was new or not, it delighted him to no end. He is passionate when it came to knowledge, such a smart boy he is.

“Yes, that’s true, but I won’t babble about them now, you can google them when we get home, it’s not worth clogging your mind with such information. There are lots of formalities, Japanese people are very thoroughgoing.” The girl explained.

“Well, this is why the internet is for.” Eren shrugged, locking his hands at the back of his head.

I giggled, dimples and smiley eyes, regarding him with amusement. “ I doubt you’ll search that up anyway.”

Turquoise satin sheets wrapped around me, I lost myself again. It was a welcoming embrace, I would embrace it any day, this boy was just too—too—German, don’t fail me. “I won’t. You?”

I simpered up at him: “Already did.”

He laughed. “You’re really dedicated to this country!”

“Of course I am! It’s my dream country!”

“So, you could say…” He trailed off, mischievousness swimming in his blue pearls. “That you’re living the  _Japanese dream_.”

I guffawed. “That was such a bad one.”

“I won’t start listing all the reasons why that pun is so wrong.”The blond countered in a mild tone.

Talking and laughing along the way, we found ourselves standing in front of a majestic temple, green tiles and wooden structure, the  _Meiji Jingu_ Shrine. There were many people, mostly girls, and I spotted several platforms adorned by dolls.This was such a contrast in comparison to the buzzing outside world, a side of Tokyo clothed in peacefulness, in calmness and in contentment, everything was tickled by the word harmony. The trees around us blocked the noise and hustle characteristic to Tokyo, they were devoted guards to their duty.

Mikasa took off before us and handed us some fliers given by the temple attendants that described in cursive English the background of the temple, its attractions, its festivities.

“Let’s stay together so we don’t lose each other, alright?” Armin inquired, and we all gave our agreements.

There was no way I would get lost once again. It was one thing in the train, but in an open space, at a temple, on a holiday, at a festival—Who knows how much it would take to find me? My phone’s not working anyway, it’s not like we can call each other. It’s best if I am attentive and I make sure not to lose sight of my friends.

As if sensing that I was troubled by my ability to get lost anywhere and everywhere (it’s not the first time), Eren turned to me: “ Do you want to hold my hand?”

_Whaa—_

Cue me turning the red light on, making way to rest on my cheeks.

Realising what he said, he quickly stammered a clarification: “T—To not get lost again, it would be better to hold my hand.” His cheeks were ivory pink, or what I could see from his profile, he was averting his gaze to the other direction.

I think I heard comment in the background (“How bold of you.”), but I ignored him in favor of answering the beauty thing next to me: “A-Alright, it’s fine with me.”

I made eye contact and I delved in crystal clear water, salty, the ocean, but unfortunately, I don’t know how to swim, and the one who held the PFD was the one drowning me.

He intertwined our hands, and we resumed our tour.

“There are stands that sell food, like this one—“ Mikasa pointed to the first one. “There they sell  _okanomiyaki,_  which is a sort of pancake with various ingredients in it. It’s actually tasty, you definitely have to try it. There are many stands like this one here, at least ten. The next one—“ Her finger went a little farther, to the second booth.”—They sell, as you can probably see, grilled corn. My advice is to not waste your money on this, we can grill corn in Germany too.”

Blue velvet eyes glanced back towards us. “Let’s take a raid, I’ll explain as we pass by each booth.”

She went on, showing us stands that sold chopped squid with mayonnaise packed in a dough ball, fish on sticks, beer stands, though we were uninterested in them, choco-banana, crepes,  _yakitori_. I bought  _okanomiyaki_ , and let me tell you, it was delicious. I also had a taste of chocolate covered banana, I liked it very much.

Armin tried everything, Eren bought  _yakitori_ and okanomiyaki, and Mikasa was eating a choco-banana.

Eren’s sigh made me look at him. “Is something wrong?”

“No, it’s just that…” He grumbled. “… That choco-banana looks inviting as hell. I wish I bought one too, but I don’t have much money left and I want to try the games here too.”

“Wanna get a bite of mine?” I held the stick in Eren’s face with a half-eaten banana.

Hold on.

_What did I just ask him?!_

And the fact that it sounds like an innuendo doesn’t help at all.

Eren seemed to notice that too, judging by his blush. “If it’s—“ He cleared his throat.”If it’s alright with you?”

I bobbed my head, looking up at him. “Yeah. Sure. Definitely. Otherwise I wouldn’t have asked.”

I brought the stick closer to him and  _oh God,_  he grasped my hand and he  _bit into the banana_  all the while  _holding my hand._

I erupted into flames.

Now I’m 100% sure this boy is the reincarnation of a Shoujo manga boy.

I watched transfixed as he chewed slowly, savoring the taste, and by the expressions on his face, he seemed to enjoy it.

He moaned. “This tastes excellent.”

As his happiness is my happiness, I nudged the stick to his lips. “Here, you can have the rest, I don’t want it anymore.”

He paused, looking at me incredulously. “You sure?”

“Yup!” I chirped.

He carefully took the stick from my hand with his free hand (when did I forget that we were holding hands?) and he poked at my lips with it. “Only if we share. Sounds good?”

I gaped like a fish, before nodding quickly. “ Yeah, of course. Perfect.”

“Sweet!” Eren grinned before waving the stick lightly left and right, as to not let the banana fall. “Open wide.” He cooed, bringing it to my lips. “Here comes the train!”

I burst into laughter, then took a bite. “Choo-choo.” I tittered, smiling from ear to ear.

“Motherfuckers!” Eren continued with sparkling shades of green and blue and I couldn’t hold my laughter anymore.

I shivered as he flung the hand that used to hold mine across my shoulders, bringing me closer to him. He smelled so good, I honestly don’t know how to describe it, but my nostrils were having the time of their lives. His chest was firm, muscled, it was evident that he works out, I wonder how it would feel to sleep on it, to wake up to his dazzling Carribbean eyes, mussed up hair and sleepy, hoarse voice, in the morning.

_My thoughts are going into dangerous territory._

Passing the stick between us in various indirect kisses, I couldn’t help but remark that: “You know, this choco-banana is nothing special, we can make something like this too back home.”

Mikasa sided with me. Armin too. Eren, as expected, not.

“No, we can’t.”

“Why not?” Armin raised an eyebrow.

“Because this is a  _Japanese_  banana.”

Mikasa made a sound between a snort and a huff. “Bananas don’t grow here, they’re imported.”

“B—But—! It has a history here, it lived here! Japan is practically its home!”

My stomach hurt from all the laughing.

“ Are we seriously having a dispute about a banana's growth place?” Armin voiced my thoughts in a jovial tone.

“Better than Mr Ackerman’s talks about shits and poops in general. No offence, Mikasa.”

Mikasa shrugged Eren off. “None taken. I know how you feel.”

Finally, we reached the other booths, filled with toys and there was a stand that I knew from Anime, a stand where you try to catch goldfish.

We made some rounds around the festivals, Eren and I tried our hand at the goldfish, and surprisingly, Eren won but chose to let the fish there. We admired the ornamental dolls, stayed a little for the prayers, then slowly made our way to where we had come from.

It got dark already. I could see the twinkling stars above my head, floating along a mist of darkness. The atmosphere here really was different, the air was fresher, the people were nicer, the sky had lots of visible stars, only if you go to the countryside you can see the same stars in Germany. I liked it here. Please, don’t take me back home.

Mikasa checked her phone, then spoke up: “If we leave now, we may still get to visit  _Takeshita Street_.”

“Oh.My.God.” I squealed. “It’s that street full of cosplays and wigs and nice clothes?”

The other girl nodded, while I continued to jump and fidget in excitement. I snatched Eren’s hand and took him along with me as I started running on my sandals and, even though my feet were screaming murder, I kept on running, even though he started complaining, I still kept running. “Let’s go! Let’s go, Armin, Mikasa!” I called behind my shoulder, and the two reluctantly quickened their pace.


	2. i fell in love.

With my feet burning, it was obvious the fact that we stopped running and walked at a fast pace, due to my enthusiasm, to said street. I bet my feet weren’t the only one suffering, but Mikasa, Armin and Eren were too nice to complain. Of course, we couldn’t have run all the way there, we would have ruined our appearance, our kimonos would have loosened up, we had to be careful. Mikasa said that it wasn’t unusual the fact that we were dressed for the festival; we weren’t the only one who, after visiting temples, stopped for shopping at _Takeshita Street._  She told us, and especially me, that the prices for cosplay costumes and wigs were quite expensive, reaching even 3000 yen. That won’t stop me from buying a wig, though. I needed one for my  _Nanami Chiaki_  cosplay, and what better place to buy it from than its hometown? Home country. Whatever.

 _Takeshita Street_  greeted its visitors with a great archway with flowers, illuminated  when the moon came out with lots of bulbs. Glued to both sides of the archway was a rectangle shaped screen that flickered with commercials and, from time to time, it presented us the time, which was  _19:45:13_. Above this screen, in white, it was written  _Takeshita Street._

I jumped from one feet to the other, feeling super giddy.

“Alright.” Mikasa broke our silence. “We can split up, this street is basically filled with fashion boutiques, restaurants, cafes, accessory and jewelry stores. “ She checked the time, glancing at the screen on her right, before turning her head back to us. “ Let’s set up a meeting date.”

“ How about two hours from now on? Or it’s too much?” Eren piped up, but Armin intervened. “Make that an hour and a half. The hotel closes at 23 pm, we need to have time to get back home without running on the streets.”

The clock read  _19:53:23_.

“So we meet up at 21:30?” I questioned, earning nods from my companions. “Alright.” I nodded myself, trying to contain my inner excitement.

“Well, let’s go.”

I squeaked, clapping my hands. I started skipping, while singing about all the things I planned on buying, when I felt my hand squeezed . I turned, wondering if it was a Japanese person who thought I was crazy for talking to myself and jumping around, only to find Eren, who was throwing me a sheepish look.

“Err, do you mind if I go with you? This whole cosplay thing, it’s… I can’t say I’ve been interested in it before. Would you mind telling me more about it?”

“YES!” I screamed, blushing furiously and nodding my head quickly. My crush just asked me about one of my obsessions, and if he could accompany me while strolling around. Is this how it feels to be on Cloud 9? “Hell yes you can come along! God, I have so many things to tell you!” I fidgeted, beaming up at him.

He was smiling down at me.

Like, he was smiling  _so gently_  at me, I felt like time had stopped. Well, of course, time didn’t stop, time stops for no one, but… It just felt like that. His eyes, did they have that sort of glimmer in them before? Have they ever been this shade of teal? This soft, tender and compassionate, I’ve never been caressed by such a feeling until now. How many times I’ve been close to drowning in them? I could spend a lifetime only gazing into his eyes.

And his lips. They were smiling, tinted with a rosy color. They looked a bit chapped, he did have a habit of biting them when he was nervous, but overall, I—

I really felt like kissing him.

“Thanks, [__]. I can count on you when it comes to these things.” He chuckled, his grin widening.

I tentatively smiled.

And so, the two of us started our journey through  _Takeshita Street._

Our first stop was at a stand full of sunglasses, punk T-shirts and we laughed until we remained without air when we found that they sold handcuffs. The owner was a cute girl, her hair dyed pink and dressed with one of the T-shirts that were for sale. There were also some cups with  _geisha,_  magnets, badges with  _I_ _♥_ _Nihon_ , but Eren didn’t want to leave until I took a picture of him with the handcuffs. Like, he literally asked the other girl if he could try them on, and he pleaded me to take a picture that depicted him, carefully bent down on his knees, his head hung low, and his hands tied behind his back. I recognized this scene, it was from the  _Advancing Giants_  anime, my favorite anime up ‘til now, when  _Aaron_ was beaten up by  _the Captain_  in order to save his life. Yeah, I kinda made Eren watch this anime with me because  _Aaron_  strangely reminded me of him. And  _the Captain_  reminded me of Mr Ackerman. Hilarious thing that Eren’s and Mr Ackerman’s relationship is strained.

We moved on, looking in awe at the things these people sold, like masks, one that looked like Obama (Eren took a selfie with it), some funny bags with animal faces printed on them, weird T-shirts that I couldn’t help but snap a picture of (and later I found out that I wasn’t allowed to take photos). There was a creepy one with Ronald McDonald in red with a  _onigiri_  in one hand, and next to it there was a black T-shirt with the following text written on it in  _hiragana_  :” _Chicken shit_ ”. Very inspirational, what can I say. I should buy that one for Mr Ackerman, he is the poop jokes master. My favorite was the  _“super perverted”_  one, I have to buy Mikasa that, with her R-rated fiction and all that.

Yep, definitely buying her that. Eren almost peed himself when I told him I bought it for Mikasa.

One  _super perverted_  T-shirt later, we found ourselves in my territory.

Lolita dresses, with lots and lots of frilly ribbons and frilly dresses and just frilly in general, the majority black, and angels from above, a cosplay shop!

“Eren, Eren, let’s go there!” I pointed upwards, to the window of the store that had  _Usagi Tsukino_ ’s,  _Hatsune Miku_ ’s costumes. There were four costumes displayed, two of which I recognized, and in between them there was a sideboard with  8 wigs. I jumped the steps to the entrance of the shop, where there were displayed  _Ibuki Mioda_ ’s and  _Hatsune Miku_ ’s outfit in  _Senbonzakura._  I was so happy, my cheeks were red from my ecstatic behavior, and Eren couldn’t help but leave out a small laugh. “You’re honestly really excited, aren’t you?”

I looked at him like he grew 2 heads. “Of course I am, this is an once-in-a-lifetime experience, you don’t get to visit Japan every day!”

“I’m glad that you’re enjoying yourself, [__].”

Heavens above, the angel you sent after me is going to get me killed with his words, charm, looks, personality and everything he is. Doesn’t he realise how his words could affect my poor heart? How cruel. Actually, I like it like this, it makes me feel hopeful. Good thing the Heavens didn’t need him anymore, I could maybe get him to myself. I have to work on my Sexy Jutsu, though.

My eyes lidded and I smiled back at him. “Thanks. I hope you also enjoy yourself here.”

Those pretty lips formed words that went through my heart:

“Yeah, it’s pretty enjoyable with you as the guide.”

I brought my lips in a straight line, turning my head to look down at the other people. This boy will be the death of me. It takes everything I have to not jump on him. What goes through his head, really? Gods, please hurry up with the telepathy thingie, I kind of need it now. He gives me mixed signals, sometimes it feels like he feels the same, and then it feels like we’re best friends, though I guess the line between best friends and lovers is pretty thin.

At the entrance of the shop, there were more costumes, as expected. There was  _Junko Enoshima_ ’s, _Aaron Hunter_ ’s, a lilac Lolita dress and _Honoka Kousaka_ ’s costume, or at least I think so, I haven’t watched  _Love Live!_   yet.

“Wow.” Amazement was written all over Eren’s face.

“ _Wow_  indeed!” I hopped up and down, clasping my hands.” _This_  is my heaven. Please, when I die bury me here.”

Eren seemed perplexed by my proposition. “Don’t talk like that,[__].”

I sighed.

I wasn’t about to argue about life and death with him in this kind of place, so I let my feet guide me deeper into this heaven.

Ahh, this is magnificent, so many wigs and costumes, all different colors and different anime characters, I feel like I’ve truly died and gone to heaven. Mikasa was right, they were really expensive. Luckily, we were allowed to try them on, so I dashed to find  _Nanami Chiaki_ ’s wig. I’ll buy it even if it costs an arm and a leg. Nope, it’s not  _that_  expensive, but it’s not cheap either.

I looked around, Eren following me behind, rotating his head around like a lost puppy, while I jumped at  _Hatsune Miku_ ’s wig, carefully took it and took of the flower and the accessories from my head, leaving the bun untouched. I swept my front locks aside , mindful of the bun, gathering all of my hair and putting the wig on delicately.  I arranged it to fit properly on my head while staring at my reflection in one of the mirrors, running my hand gingerly through the green locks. I turned to Eren, flashing a grin: “How do I look?”

He seemed to contemplate something for a moment.”  _Miku Hatsune_ , right?”

“Yep!” I twirled, watching in curiosity as the wig swished, hair swishing through the air. I stopped, regarding Eren with satisfaction. “You’ve done your homework, I see.”

Eren sniggered, taking some locks between his fingers, feeling them with his fingertips. “How could I not? You would’ve gotten upset if I didn’t.” There was something in his eyes, something dark, something deep, I’ve never seen such an intense look, it was filled with his thoughts, with his determination and everything he felt, everything I couldn’t figure out. My cheeks were red, I was blushing from the proximity, I couldn’t tear my gaze away from his eyes, they were the apple to mine, his eyes held so many secrets, I felt like I was falling down, without end, without anything to grasp onto, I was lost in them. I was grasping at straws, I couldn’t get away from their intensity.

“The wig looks nice on you, but you know what looks even better?” He muttered, studying the locks in his hand.

“What?” I mumbled, accepting my fate, letting myself be captured by his essence and his everything.

The corner we were in, there was no one else around, the both of us were alone, we were hidden from the others. This… This really is intimate, the way his eyes bore into mine, the way he leaned down and took off my wig,  placing it on the counter next to the mannequin, the way—

He took  _Kagamine Rin_ ’s wig and gave it to me.

“This one would fit you better!”

You just not did that.

I hope to God that you didn’t do that.

How could you?

Tempting me then leaving me hanging?

I cleared my throat, wetting my lips, before putting Rin’s wig back to its place.

Well, it can’t be helped, can it? He’s just clueless like that. And evil without wanting to, toying with my feelings unconsciously.

I let out a sigh. Oh, well.

“I want to buy a wig. Short, slightly curly purple hair. If you see one looking like that, please announce me, ok?”

I was preparing to turn my back to him and delve deeper into the costume section, when he interrupted me:”Like that one?”

“Which one?” I swirled back to him, raking my eyes over to the place he pointed at. “Oh, yeah! Thanks a bunch, Eren, it’s that one!” I hopped over to  _Nanami_ ’s wig, once again repeating the process that I’ve done with  _Miku_ ’s wig. I stared at my reflection in the mirror, striking some poses, before noticing Eren in the background, eyeing my actions. I fished for my phone, skipping over to him, handing it to him. “Selfie time!” was my only warning to him before I bumped into him, getting in his personal space and opening  _LINE Camera_. “Now then, cheese!” I said, snaking a hand around his left arm, smiling brightly at the camera. The shutter went off, and after taking the photo, I checked to see how it turned out.

It came out nice, with me grinning excitedly at the camera, and Eren awkwardly bending to my height, a faint smile trailing at his lips. The wig fit me pretty well, I took a selfie alone, before nudging Eren once again, urging him to take more selfies and to make the weirdest face we could make. He came up with the idea to try this while trying on different wigs. I agreed. I told him to wait a moment for me while I strode over to buy  _Nanami_ ’s wig, then made my way over to him once again.

“So, let’s start!”

The first picture: _Meiko_  and  _Kaito_  from  _Vocaloid_.

It was hilarious, I was sporting a duck face and Eren crossed his eyes while showing off pearly teeth. I saved it, then moved on to another two wigs.

 _Yuno_  and  _Yukiteru_ ,  _Mirai Nikki._

I tried to put on my best Yandere girlfriend face, placing both my hands on my cheeks, trying to imitate the Yuno meme, while Eren tried to look scared and uncertain. As strange as it sounds, it fit him. Somehow.

Another photo snapped, _Light_  and _Misa, Death Note_. This one had to be my favorite, Eren looked psychotic with the Light wig, and I looked so innocent and so in love. We took this picture while hugging each other, my heart thudding loudly in my chest and my hands a bit sweaty.

 _Leon_  and  _Sora_ ,  _Kaleido Star_. I laughed my butt off seeing Eren try so hard to look indifferent and to narrow his eyes like Leon. Before the shutter went off, he wrapped his hand around my waist, letting my head rest on his chest. Encouraged by this, in the countdown’s last seconds, I stood on my tiptoes and kissed his cheek quickly, the photo snapping this moment and saving it in its memory, in my own memory. I’ll take a proper look at it when I get home, alone in the confines of my bed.

From then on, the photographs became more and more intimate.

While Eren looked startled and pink from my kiss on the cheek, he became more daring, placing his head on my shoulder from behind when we were trying  _Usui_ ’s and _Misaki_ ’s wigs, arms fastened around me, breath fanning on my neck, the steady rise and fall of his chest, I could feel them all. At the  _Ririchiyo_  and  _Soushi_ ’s picture, Eren buried his face into my hair, and I exploded into flames when he inhaled my scent. Good thing I just washed my hair, or else… I hesitantly placed my hand on top of his, and the phone snapped the picture.

 _Taiga_  and  _Ryuuji_  were the final drop for the both of us.

That’s how I would describe this moment.

 _Toradora_  was one of the animes that Eren watched with me, and so we ended up simulating the famous let’s-pretend-that-we’re-getting-married scene.

And that’s how we ended up kissing the living deadlights out of each other.

Well, not really.

It all started real slow, him leaning in, I closing my eyes, goose bumps prickling my skin, breath mingling and lips molding shyly. I can’t say they fit perfectly, but his lips fit pretty nicely with mine, chapped, like I thought, and I felt warm,  _so, so warm._  I didn’t want that warmth to leave me ever again, so I desperately clutched at the back of his kimono, bringing him closer with my hands locked behind his head, running through his locks. He kissed me back with the same urgency, biting, sucking my fruit punch lips like they were his favorite candy. Flames licked at my soul, they swallowed me whole, I was over the head for this boy, I couldn’t get enough of him, never could get enough of him. We moved in an unsynced rhythm, but we managed, we finally had each other, we were in each other’s arms, in each other’s embrace, we shared the same warmth and I felt like flying through the vast sky, a sensation I’ve never had before. This person was magnetic, charismatic, and everybody knew it. I was lucky, so, so lucky that he chose me. I’m his. You’ve caught me in your web, never let me go. We tiptoed around each other long enough.

When we parted, I gasped for air, trying to break the surface of the water that kept me in its waves until now, this kiss took my breath away, and Eren didn’t look better than me. I felt my cheeks burning a fiery red, I saw his cheeks radiating warmth, we never broke our embrace.

“ I like you just a little too much.” I breathed, sailing through shades of blue and green, finally being able to float without drowning.

“Be my girlfriend.” He whispered in return, before diving down for another kiss.

“Only if you’ll be my boyfriend.” I joked, using an overused line from many rom-com movies, but y’know, it suited the moment.

“Hell yes I will.”

Many more kisses later, and more selfies with wigs, this time snapping them while kissing or being all lovey-dovey, we left the shop to raid some more. We had almost one hour left, so we decided to find somewhere to eat.

“How about McDonald’s? I saw one at the street entrance.” Eren suggested, but I crinkled my nose. “Let’s eat something Japanese, we can stuff ourselves with chicken nuggets in Germany too. Plus, I don’t think I’ll be able to eat after seeing so many creepy Ronald McDonald shirts.”

We made fun of more things that were being sold, such as some weird glasses and more Ronald McDonald T-shirts. We took some pictures with those, even though we weren’t allowed to. Watch out, we’ve got two badasses over here. There were more T-shirts with  _I love Tokyo_ and  _I bought this from Harajuku_. Superman,  _Hello Kitty, you’re so pretty_ and  _One Piece_ socks,  _Rilakkuma_  wallets (must.resist.temptation.), funky clothes and super cool bags, they were all here.

The street, aside of being agglomerated by shops and people, was crowded with posters of singers, seiyuu, actors,  _AKB48,_  and others of those, I couldn’t help but snap more pictures on our way to food.

I bought some nice clothes, a bag that immediately had caught my eye, with three kitties sewn on it, and below them, in black letters, was written  _Pants, Pants, Pants_. I found it very  _k-k-kawaii_ , since the kitties wore pants, two of which were white, and one was black.  The kitties, not the pants.

I flipped my poop when I found those thingies where you put a coin, then rotate the handle, and you get a surprise. There was one with _Advancing Giants_ , so I wasted 600 yen to finally get  _Aaron_ , and once I did, I put the strap in my phone. Eren tried his hand at this too, and he got  _Ann_ ,  _Aaron_ ’s love interest.

We wandered some more, studying the colorful candy shops, all painted in green, pink, yellow and other bright colors, that I couldn’t help but want to buy something sweet myself. From the windows I could see blue, green and red striped lollipops, lots of candy in various colors, and other sugary treats that winked at me.

“Can we stop here? I want to buy a lollipop. Please?” I showed Eren my best puppy eyes, clasping my hands to my chest, and he gave in, breathing a laugh. “I guess we can, honey.”

I covered my mouth with my hand, laughing in disbelief, earning a confused look from him.” Did you just call me  _honey_?”

The tip of his ears turned red.” Is it wrong that I did?”

“No, no.” I shook my head, giggling. “I didn’t know that we’re already at the calling-your-lover-cute-and-sickening-names stage.” I paused, before adding:”Babe.”

Eren snorted. “Let’s go, pumpkin pie.”

I pouted. “I dislike pumpkin pie.”

“Cutie pie is alright?”

“It’s perfect.”

The uniforms the girl who served us were wearing were so adorable, I wanted to save them in my phone’s memory, but I don’t they would have appreciated that. Also, their voices were as sweet as the candy they served, if not sweeter. The whole place was so lively with such endearing colors, it contributed to the welcoming atmosphere the girls were trying to produce.

I bought myself a green lollipop with a smiley face, and some candy for Armin, knowing he had quite the sweet tooth. As thanks for supporting me and being my friend, this is the least I could have done.

Eren and I stopped in front of a  _ramen restaurant_ , and we somehow managed with the language barrier, resulting in a nice meal. Eren commented that it could be our first date, to which I blushed, stuffing my face with more noodles. We ate in silence, sometimes breaking it to give our opinions on the other people (in German, of course), about the place and the owners, overall we had a pleasant moment.

After persuading me and finally paying, Eren took hold of my hand and we slowly made our way to our meeting place. I swung or hands up and down like a little child, both of us throwing each other loving gazes. Finally, my happy ending was finally here. I have to admit that both Armin and Mikasa were right, not only Eren had been the clueless one, but I had also been oblivious to his feelings, that were completing mine.

I checked my phone. _21:07_. We still had some time left, so we made more memories, we took more rounds around other shops, and I reminded myself that I had to buy Eren something too. Luckily, I had the perfect idea for a present.

When we reached the meeting place, I told Eren to wait there.” I’ll be right back, I just want to buy a little thing.” Reluctantly, he agreed, leaning his back on a post light. I hurried down the street to the first stand we had visited, and I bought what I wanted to for him. After buying the thing, the woman winked at me, the corner of her lips tilted upwards. My face turned pink, but I smiled back at her with my glowing cheeks.

I laughed so loud and so hard at the face he pulled when he discovered that what I bought him were the handcuffs he tried on. His face was scrunched up in restrained amusement, but he gave way to a smile and some laughter. He looked coyly at me, flashing a smirk. “Naughty, aren’t we, [__]?”

“E-Eh? B-B—No!! It was meant to be as a joke!” I stammered, moving my hands left and right in front of my face.

Eren chuckled. “Relax, I know.” Then, coming closer to me,  breathing hotly in my ear: “Maybe we could use them sometime, what do you say?”

I lightly jabbed him, my face red.”P-Pervert. We’re not of age yet, keep your willy in your pants.”

“Alright, I understand.” He raised his hands in surrender, and I pursed my lips while looking to another direction.

Suddenly, I felt a pair of lips on my cheek, and I shifted to see Eren leaning away from me with a mischievous grin. “I couldn’t resist, the temptation was too big.”

I huffed a smile, smoldering eyes swimming through crystal clear adoring eyes.

“I think we should go back and let the two lovebirds alone, shouldn’t we, Mikasa?” Armin’s voice made itself known, a wide grin gracing his features, Mikasa following closely behind him, smiling slightly.

We all gathered together, and I found that moment just perfect to give them their presents.

“This is for all your R-rated fiction.” I handed Mikasa the bag with her shirt, and she peeked into it, before unfolding the T-shirt and laughing. “I can’t believe you.” She said, before hugging me.”I love it, though you’re crazy for buying it.”

“Not as crazy as you.” I countered, before turning to Armin and giving him the sweets. “I know you like them, I hope they taste good.”

“You shouldn’t have, [__].” Armin protested, but opened the bag nonetheless. “Whoa, they look nice. I bet they taste even better.”

“I hope so.” I tittered.

“And, what did you get, Eren?” Armin questioned, curiosity swimming in his sky blue eyes.

Eren grinned, showing the handcuffs.”Perfect for bondage, eh, Mikasa?” I buried my face in my hands in embarrassment, while Mikasa gasped and Armin exploded in hiccups of laughter. Their reactions made me even more ashamed.

“I don’t remember raising you like that.” Mikasa lectured me with a tone that clearly wasn’t harsh, like it should have sounded. She was having fun. I was glad. Mikasa is so tense, so preoccupied by our well-being, that she forgets hers. It’s good to see her so relaxed.

Armin too. He’s so engrossed in his studies, that I believe he is the smartest human on Earth. He should take more breaks. Long breaks are the key to success, after all.

Eren was a tad bit more relaxed, but it seems he had a good time. He is very determined in school, though he doesn’t have a certain subject that he’s better at than the rest. He’s very passionate, that’s how he aces everything.

“It seems you two had fun.”  Armin remarked without giving any indication of how he came to that conclusion. His eyes had a certain glint in them that I  couldn’t figure out. This boy is a genius. I wouldn’t be surprised if he figured out that me and Eren really did have fun, only not the sort of fun he was referring to. Heavens above, make Armin dumb for a minute, my heart is yet to be prepared. You have to. I’ll bribe you. How does cake sound?

“Why?” Both me and Eren asked at the same time, my eyebrows furrowed in concentration. I was trying to use telepathy to make Armin drop the subject, but it seems that I haven’t been given that power yet. I knew it, I had to bribe Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny too.

“Your hair is disheveled and your accessories are missing, [__].” The other girl declared and I unconsciously ran my hand through my hair that stuck up in all directions. How in the name of all that is holy did my hair end up like this?! I just tried on some wigs?! It was all tangled up and it was a replica of bed hair, how could I walk the streets of Tokyo like this? How could Eren leave me with my hair like an angry kitten’s fur?

Wait a second.

Eren tried on wigs too. His hair should be in the same state as mine. But then again, this boy’s hair is always tousled, like someone ruffled the feathers outta him, but the thing is that he does brush his hair, though it has a mind of its own, so it looks unkempt and it kind of fits him. Hottie.

”Oh, this.” I began.” I tried on wigs at the cosplay shop.” I stated as nonchalantly as I could, intentionally leaving out the make-out session. Like, Mikasa and Armin can do without all the unnecessary details, like how Eren licked his way into my mouth and all that jazz. “I even bought a wig.” I changed the subject, searching through my bag for  _Nanami_ ’s wig. I tried straightening my hair and I successfully redid the bun.

“That’s cool. Whose wig?” Armin opened up the subject, and I started babbling to him about cosplay and  _Super Dangan Ronpa 2_ , moving our feet to the train station. And trying to act normal, without giving the impression that me and Eren hooked up and that we were no longer friends, but more than that. We’ll tell them eventually, one day, but today is not that day. That night. Whichever it is. Though I think they already figured it out, they’re not the best at Logic for nothing.

After this day, my feet felt like jelly, I barely could walk on them. Feet, don’t fail me now, please. Even if the idea of Eren carrying me back home is tempting, he’s also tired, I don’t want to be a burden to him. Plus, it would be awkward asking him to sweep me off my feet. Literally.

As we were moving forward, I looked at Eren from the corner of my eye. He never looked so beautiful as he did now, the pale moonlight casting a faint glow on his face, like a tunnel lined with yellow lights on a dark night, and I swore that he looked like an angel. If he truly was one, I’ll make Jesus my bestest friend, for his gold and brown skin was mine and mine only now. Heaven was truly on earth alongside him, I could finally believe that. Wind in my hair, with heaven in my eyes, no one compared to this boy.  It was like all the pretty stars shone for him, his eyes having the fire, he’s got the fire and he walks with it, he tames it and talks with it, he’s the light of my life, he’s sparkling up my eyes and, if before, in the waves I’d lose  every trace of myself, now I’m floating in the blue. We were dancing in this blue, synchronized with you I was. I wanna find myself by the sea, I’m gonna dive and have no fear, and I’ll cross oceans like never before. I’ve suffered shipwrecks right from the start, I’ve been underwater, breathing out and in. I’ve learnt how to float alongside him.

I heard a whisper on my shoulder, he wrapped his arm around it, and I really hope that in front of the gates, I’ll be told that he’s mine. This angel had to be mine, he had given himself to me completely. I wondered if I’ll ever be enough for him.

I rested my head on his pectorals, reveling in our innocent intimate moment, display of affection, unlike the fervent kisses we had shared in the cosplay shop. When Armin and Mikasa weren’t looking, he’d either bury his nose in my hair or kiss the top of my head. This boy is everything I’ve wished for, and more.

As soon as we said our goodnights and as soon as Eren stole a secret kiss away from prying eyes, I undressed myself and took the  _yukata_ the hotel staff provided us. I was exhausted, both emotionally and physically. Me and Eren were together. Lovers. Boyfriend and girlfriend. A couple. I still couldn’t wrap my mind around this development. I replayed this day in my head, and his face was like a melody, it just wouldn’t leave my head. Idol of roses, he was, he truly was, he would do so well, so very well, I have to try my best for him. Loving him can never be wrong.

Mikasa turned off the lights and bid me sweet dreams.

I fell asleep with cotton candy feelings, smiles on my lips and Eren in my dreams.

March 3 is not a special day in Germany, the place we come from.

However, in Japan it is entirely different.

March 3 was reserved for the  _Doll Festival_ , also called   _Girls’ Day._

It’s the day when girls pretty themselves, dress themselves up in exquisite kimonos, adorning their hair with beautiful flowers and accessories. They make themselves appealing to the eye with the best they can work with. It’s their day, they have to live it to its fullest.

It is a very special day.

Truly, a very, very special one.

To me, at least, it is.

_Every now and then the stars align_   
_Boy and girl meet by the great design_   
_Could it be that you and me are the lucky ones?_   
_Everybody told me love was blind_   
_Then I saw your face and you blew my mind_   
_Finally, you and me are the lucky ones this time_


End file.
